TeX, Lies, and Yellow Dog Linux (was: YDL in Mac OS X Hints today)

[Clinton MacDonald]

Mr. Bruda:

Stefan Bruda <bruda AT cs DOT ubishops DOT ca> wrote:
> LaTeX is a wonderful system. Once you become
> proficent it is virtually impossible to go
> back to a word processor--the document
> quality is really nonexistent by comparison,
> and so is the flexibility.

That is quite a recommendation! I like the notion of
having control of the *structure* of a document, while
not having to worry about the *appearance* until
later. That is a great way to write, say, a scientific
manuscript (it might not work so well for a grant,
that is more appearance- and format-oriented).

> There are also add-ons to LaTeX that let
> you do anything (from diagram drawing to
> overhead presentations).

Also attractive notions (all my manuscripts and grants
must include figures with legends, and so on).

> The downside is the learning curve, LaTeX
> is a programming language so you'll have to
> learn it first.

That's where you lost me! (Remember WordStar? The
Horror! ;-) ) As I have mentioned, I am an old guy,
and am no longer capable of learning new things,
especially complicated things requiring more computing
going on in vivo than in silico.

> If you want to use it really quickly the
> "LaTeX: A Document Preparation System" (by
> Leslie Lamport, Addison Wesley, 1994) is a
> must (learning by examples tends to be
> slower).

Thanks -- I will look for it.

> P.S. Incidentally, my successful NSERC grant
> application was written a year ago in LaTeX
> (except the forms that generate themselves
> over the Web), though I would hesitate to claim
> that it was successful _because_ was written in
> LaTeX. ;-)

I am certain the success of the grant was entirely due
to the clarity and strength of your ideas, and how
well you stated them. LaTeX may have been a good
conduit, however.

For what it is worth, Microsoft (spit) Word has some
good document organizational features hidden in its
Byzantine menus and dialog boxes. At its core, Word
has a lovely Outline view, which allows a structured
organization to any document, once you learn how to
use it. (For instance, I have my curriculum
vitae/resume written in Word using the Outline view;
this allows quick and structured additions to my
resume without changing the overall look and feel.)

Yes, I have made my deal with the devil to use
Microsoft Word for word processing on the Mac. On the
Macintosh (in OS X), Microsoft Word has a higher
marketshare than it does on the PC, mostly because
there are no viable alternatives. My compromise is
that I write all documents using RTF format, so that I
can convert to a superior word processor when one
becomes available.

I am especially excited about the prospect of using
TeX in Mac OS X, as well as in Linux. Perhaps, TeX
will be that superior word processor on the Mac. Can I
import existing documents in RTF format to TeX?

Thanks to everyone who has shared his or her opinions!

Best wishes,
Clint

=====
Dr. Clinton C. MacDonald | <mailto:clint DOT macdonald AT sbcglobal DOT net>